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Baby Steps
By Shannon Sullivan

Having a baby can be one of the most special and unique experiences of a lifetime. If you are one of those women that choose to work during the 40-weeks of pregnancy that precede the baby’s actual arrival, it also can be one of the most stressful, turbulent and exhausting as well. I should know since I am at week 37.

If you are a pregnant working woman in a competitive and fast-paced environment and, in particular, if you are an A-type personality like me, you feel a desperate need to prove that a pregnancy won’t slow you down in terms of workload, doing your job 120 percent and supporting teammates. Despite all the hard work you put forth during your pregnancy, perhaps the most daunting part of the arrival of the new bundle of joy, from the work perspective, is how to prepare your team, the clients and yourself for the 12 potential weeks away from the office. After all, work and client needs don’t stop when you are doing your part to populate the next generation of the workforce.

While everyone has different responsibilities and methods of communication, there are common practices that will help make the change smooth for clients and co-workers. Here are the top few:

Anticipate the Usual
Since babies take a while to prep themselves for their official arrival, most of us have the time to consider what projects and daily or monthly tasks need to be taken care of during the 12 weeks away from the office. In my case, I will be away from the office during the 2006-2007 transition, which entails end-of-year reporting, numerous administrative tasks, budgeting, goal setting, etc. Luckily, my planning gene has been enhanced by the hormone surge, and we began preliminary work on these important tasks in July. Okay, I am a little over-organized but you know … I made a list, checked it twice, added in a few spreadsheets and “ta-da,” most of this work is either well underway or pending client approval before my departure.

The lesson: Do what you can, when you can, before you depart, particularly with projects and planning that you know will be required.

Spread the Wealth
Knowing who will help handle the workload when you are away from the office is almost as important as knowing what the workload will be (surprises and special projects are exceptions). Luckily, the way M/C/C is structured makes sourcing expertise a relatively easy task. Many team members have direct contact with our clients, and our clients have good and close relationships with the senior managers. Since we know roughly when I will be departing, we have included team members on e-mails and meetings to expand their knowledge beyond their usual roles – at no cost to the client. Of course, this also contributes to a well-versed team with expanded skill sets and an ability to make recommendations and proposals to build client business in the future, as well.

Employ “The Container Store Theory”
Also known as being organized, “The Container Store Theory,” as I like to call it, is all about having a place for everything and putting everything in its place. Expecting teammates to be able to communicate effectively with the client in your absence requires access to organized documents, step-by-step instructions for project execution, review sessions and an understanding of the big picture. When all of these elements are in place, other tasks that are not as familiar should be conducted seamlessly and efficiently.

Predict the Unpredictable
The one thing that can really help contribute to a smooth transition is choosing an official last day of work. This allows teammates and clients to have a cut-and-dried day to redirect inquiries and account responsibilities. It often helps to include a few weeks of actual transition while both point people are still in the office – the new person actually responding to inquiries and the mom-to-be in the background making sure all tasks are being accomplished when and how they are supposed to be. Having said that, babies generally try and work against control freaks like me, so they arrive at unpredictable times, making it hard to predict your last day. Just keep all parties informed, and choose a last day for transition as closely as you can.

Lastly, the common thread to all these things is the ability to communicate consistently and frequently. Keep clients informed on how your company will get their work done in your absence – who to contact for what, the status of various projects, etc. Keep teammates up-to-speed daily on the progress of projects, client needs and changes to planned projects.

And remember that while you may feel the tug-of-war between family and work responsibilities, life has a funny way of creating the balance and time you need to excel at both jobs. Or so I am told.

E-mail the author: Shannon Sullivan

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